Ahh, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, a place near and dear to my heart. Snuggled right in the heart of crazy Gatlinburg, TN under the chair lift to Anakeesta, with the National Park just up the hill, the Donut Friar across a parking lot, and Dollywood in the next town over. By the way, you should check out Arrowmont for workshops and classes in world-class facilities taught by working artists, accessible to beginners and beyond.

I was an artist-in-residence living and working at Arrowmont for a year in 2001 to 2002. My experience was an ideal transition from acadamia and into the real world, where I learned from professionals making their living in the art and craft field. I’ve gone back to teach every couple of years ever since.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

This time back, I taught “Paper Pop-Up Diorama Books.” a one-week intensive workshop in mid-August, an ideal break in the cool Smoky Mountains and out of the heat of the Lowcountry of South Carolina. I had six students, many of whom worked late into every evening to get their projects done.

We started with fun paper masks, which are great to get a basic understanding of pop-up paper mechanics. As in, “what happens when I cut this shape, or fold like this? Which way does it go?”

Then we made star books. These are based on modular squares of paper pages folded in a unique way. From there, the fun is in the myriad different configurations to glue the pages together and how they tumble and ladder down in your hands. We made hard covers from heavy chipboard; and each student decorated the covers with collage, paint, and sealed.

star book pop-up sculpture by @abbyhendersonart

Then we got into tunnel books. This structure was a challenge for me because I had not made one in a while. The week before class, I found myself too busy to take the time to make one and refresh my memory; though I wish I had. So the accordion-fold strips that hold the pages parallel became my nemesis for two days and flustered me brutally during a demo. Here’s what I was working out on the white board.

But we got through it, and boy, am I proud of the tunnel books my students made, basically in just two days. Check out what they did:

“The Golden Ticket” tunnel book by Cathy Bullington

After we survived the tunnel books, we were off to my favorite: carousel books, yay!!! I’ve made 20+ one-of-a-kind, original, carousel books filled with joy and pain, despair and wonder, traveling with me to faraway countries, through heartbreak and new love. Okay, my carousel books are like my babies, each one is a precious gem.

Me with “The Foundling” carousel book, 2019. Based on a true story.

But here is the joy of teaching others this multilayered, multi-paneled, fold-up, close -down, and take-it-with-you collapsible structure books with stories in them!

Again, I am so proud of my students! Check out what they created in two days:

I created “I’ll Fly Away” as a demonstration piece to show my students all the steps of the process.

I was inspired by Canada Geese I kept seeing flying over the Anakeesta chair lift and lower over my head, and I sketched the children from an old photo of Pi Beta Phi Settlement School, way back in Arrowmont’s history.

I donated “I’ll Fly Away” to Arrowmont for fundraising purposes. I’m sure they’d let you buy it if you called and asked.

A Week at Arrowmont

All contents © Jennifer York 2024

A Week at Arrowmont

Live Art at the Wedding of Cat & Ben

All contents © Jennifer York 2024